Conventionally, it is well known that in various information processing equipment, a plurality of contents are classified into groups, and an index is applied for each group, and by selecting the index, the content of the corresponding group is switched to be displayed. In such equipment, some equipment identify and display a content matching a search condition out of the contents displayed on the screen when a search of the content is performed by the user.
For example, in a system of displaying an electronic program guide of a television program disclosed in a Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32568 [H04N 5/445, H04B 1/16, H04N 5/44 5/76]), a plurality of two-dimensional maps being brought into association with a channel group selecting tab and a time group selecting tab are formed as a user interface that the user designates a displaying portion of the electronic program guide, and the two-dimensional map is switched by selecting a tab. When a program is searched, a mark is displayed at a position corresponding to the channel and the time slot of the program corresponding to the search condition in the two-dimensional map corresponding to the tub which is currently being selected. Furthermore, on the two-dimensional maps corresponding to tabs other than the tab which is currently being selected, the search is performed, and if a further tab is clicked, and a further two-dimensional map corresponding thereto is displayed, a similar mark is displayed at a position corresponding to the channel and the time slot of the program corresponding to the search condition.
However, in the above-described Patent Document 1, there is a disadvantage of knowing whether or not a program matching the search condition is present on another two-dimensional map of a tab which is not selected only after the tab is selected to display the two-dimensional map.
Therefore, certain example embodiments provide a novel storage medium storing an information processing program and a novel information processing apparatus.
Certain example embodiments provide a storage medium storing an information processing program and an information processing apparatus capable of easily determining whether or not a content matching a search condition is present with respect to not only the information whose content is being displayed but also other information whose content is not displayed.
Embodiments herein may employ the following features in order to solve the above-described problems. It should be noted that reference numerals and the supplements inside the parentheses show one example of a corresponding relationship with the embodiments described later for easy understanding the described embodiments, and do not limit the present invention.
A first embodiment includes a storage medium storing an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus having a plurality of display information including a content part which includes a plurality of contents and an index part which indicates indexes of the plurality of contents. The information processing program causes a computer to execute a first display controlling step, a search condition designating step, a content determining step, and a second display controlling step. The first display controlling step displays at least a content part of the display information arbitrarily selected out of the plurality of display information and displays an index part of the other display information. The search condition designating step designates a search condition to search an arbitrary content from the plurality of contents. The content determining step determines whether or not a content matching the search condition is present. The second display controlling step changes a display manner of the content which is included in the content part displayed by the first display controlling step and determined to match the search condition by the content determining step, and changes a display manner of the index part displayed by the first display controlling step in correspondence to a determination result by the content determining step.
In example embodiments, an information processing program is to be executed by a computer (40) of an information processing apparatus (10, 12) having a plurality of display information. The display information is information to be displayed on the display (34), and includes a content part (700, 900) including a plurality of contents and an index part (702, 902) including indexes of the plurality of contents. For example, in a case that the information processing program is a program of an application for displaying an electronic program guide, the content may be program information, and the index may be a date, a broadcast station, a time, or the like. Furthermore, in a case that the information processing program is a game program, the content may be an item, and the index may be a kind of the item. In a first display controlling step (S31-S35, S91, S95, S107-S115), out of the plurality of display information, with respect to the display information arbitrarily selected, at least a content part is displayed, and with respect to the other display information, an index part is displayed. The content part to be displayed may be selected by a user, decided in advance, or the content part corresponding to predetermined data (current date and time, etc.) may be selected. In a search condition designating step (S1-S5), a search condition for searching an arbitrary content from the plurality of contents is designated, for example. As a search condition, a kind of the content may be selected, a character string may be input, or a character string may be selected from the displayed content, for example. In a content determining step (S7, S57, S59), whether or not a content matching the search condition is present. In a second display controlling step (S93, S99, S101), a display manner of the content which is included in the displayed content part and determined to match the search condition is changed, and a display manner of the displayed index part is changed in correspondence to a determination result by the content determining step. For example, a display manner of the index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition may be changed, or an index part which does not correspond to the content matching the search condition may be erased.
According to certain embodiments, in the displayed content part, a content matching the search condition can clearly be shown, and in the displayed index part, an index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition can clearly shown. Thus, it is possible to easily determine whether or not a content matching the search condition is present for both of the display information displayed with a content and the display information not displayed with a content.
A second embodiment includes a storage medium storing an information processing program according to the first embodiment, and the second display controlling step changes a display manner of the index part corresponding to the content which is determined to match the search condition by the content determining step.
In certain example embodiments, in a second display controlling step, a display manner of the index part corresponding to the content which is determined to match the search condition is changed. Accordingly, with respect to the display information displayed with a content matching the search condition, the display of the content can be changed, and with respect to the display information displayed with an index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition, the display of the index part can be changed, and therefore, it is possible to easily determine a content matching the search condition with respect to the plurality of displayed contents, and it is possible to easily determine an index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition with respect to the displayed index part.
Other embodiments include a storage medium storing an information processing program according to other embodiments, and the content determining step includes a coincidence judging step for determining whether or not the search condition and each of the plurality of contents are coincident with each other and a marking step for marking the content which is determined to be coincident with the coincidence judging step. The second display controlling step, with respect to the display information in which the marked content is included in the content part displayed by the first display controlling step, changes a display manner of the content, and with respect to the display information in which the marked content is included in the content part corresponding to the index part displayed by the first display controlling step, changes a display manner of the index part.
In certain example embodiments, in a coincidence judging step (S57), it is determined whether or not the search condition and each content are coincident with each other, and in a marking step (S59), the content which is determined to be coincident is marked. In the second display controlling step, in the displayed content part, the display manner of the marked content is changed, and in the displayed index part, a display manner of the index part corresponding to the marked content is changed. Accordingly, it is possible to easily determine whether or not a content matching the search condition is present for each of the plurality of display information.
Example embodiments include a storage medium storing an information processing program according to certain embodiments, and the first display controlling step displays only the content part with respect to the selected display information, and displays only the index part with respect to the other display information.
Certain example embodiments include, by the first display controlling step, with respect to the display information selected out of the plurality of display information, only the content part is displayed, and with respect to the display information other than it, only the index part is displayed, and therefore, it is possible to clearly distinguish the selected display information from the rest of the display information. Then, in a case that a content matching the search condition is displayed, the display manner of the content is changed, and in a case that a content matching the search condition is not displayed, the presence or absence of the content matching the search condition is shown depending on the change in the display manner of the index part, and therefore, it is easily determine whether or not a content matching the search condition is present for both of the display information displayed with the content and the display information not displayed with the content.
Example embodiments include a storage medium storing an information processing program according to certain embodiments, and the change in the display manner by the second display controlling step is a change in a color or a color tone.
Example embodiments include, by the second display controlling step, whether a content matching the search condition or not, or whether an index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition or not is shown according to a change in a color or a color tone. Accordingly, a change in a color or a color tone allows visually clear representation, capable of clearly showing whether or not a content matching the search condition is present.
Certain embodiments include a storage medium storing an information processing program according to other embodiments, and the plurality of display information are an electronic program guide by a plurality of dates, the content part includes a program guide for each date in which a plurality of program information are represented by a matrix manner by regarding one axis as a time axis and the other axis as a broadcast station axis, and the index part includes a date tub representing a date of the content part.
In certain example embodiments, a program guide of a selected date is displayed, and date tubs of the other dates are displayed. Then, in the displayed program guide, the display manner of the program information matching the search condition is changed, and the display manner of the date tub is changed depending on whether or not the program information matching the search condition is present. Accordingly, in the electronic program guide, it is possible to easily determine whether or not a program matching the search condition is present for both of the program guide on the selected date and the program guides on the other dates.
Certain example embodiments may include a storage medium storing an information processing program according to other embodiments, and causes a computer to execute a display switching determining step and a third display controlling step. The display switching determining step determines whether or not a display switching is instructed. The third display controlling step switches the display information between a two-dimensional display manner and a three-dimensional display manner and displays the switched display information when it is determined that the display switching is instructed.
In certain example embodiments, a display switching determining step (S9) determines whether or not a display switching is instructed on the basis of an operation by the user, for example. A third display controlling step (S11-S15) switches the display information between a two-dimensional display manner and a three-dimensional display manner and displays the switched display information when it is determined that the display switching is instructed. The two-dimensional display manner and the three-dimensional display manner are switched by switching a viewpoint location of a virtual camera and a gazing location (or viewing direction), for example. Accordingly, it is possible to switch the display manner of the display information between the two-dimensional display manner and the three-dimensional display manner at user's discretion. Specifically, by switching to the three-dimensional display, it is possible to highlight the change in the display manner of the index part.
Certain example embodiments include a storage medium storing an information processing program according example embodiments and causes a computer to further execute an instructed position detecting step, a camera location changing step, and a fourth display controlling step. The instructed position detecting step detects an instructed position by a user. The camera location changing step changes a camera location on the basis of the instructed position. The fourth display controlling step changes a display manner of the index part in correspondence to the camera location.
In certain example embodiments, in an instructed position detecting step (S19), an instructed position by the user is detected. For example, the information processing apparatus has an input device like a pointing device for instructing an arbitrary position on the screen displayed with the display information, and from input data by the input device, an instructed position by the user is detected. In a camera location changing step (S21-S29), a camera location is changed on the basis of the instructed position. The camera location means a parameter for indicating to which direction or point the virtual camera views, and includes coordinates of a location of the viewpoint, coordinates of a gazing location (or viewing direction), for example. The camera location is changed depending on whether or not the instructed position is within the predetermined area including the index part. In a fourth display controlling step (S103, S105), the display manner of the index part is further changed in correspondence to the camera location. For example, the direction of the index part is changed such that the index part is turned to the front on the screen, or the size of the index part is changed.
In certain example embodiments, it is possible to change the camera location and change the display manner of the index part according to an operation by the user. For example, in a case that it is determined that the user intends to select the index part on the basis of an instructed position, the camera location is changed such that the index part is noted to thereby further change the display manner of the index part. Accordingly, the index part corresponding to the content matching the search condition can be more clearly shown, and can be easily selected.
Certain example embodiments include an information processing apparatus having a plurality of display information including a content par which includes a plurality of contents and an index part which indicates indexes of the plurality of contents. The information processing apparatus comprises a first display controlling means, a search condition designating means, a content identifying means and a second display controlling means. The first display controlling means displays at least a content part of the display information arbitrarily selected out of the plurality of display information and displays an index part of other display information. The search condition designating means designates a search condition to search an arbitrary content from the plurality of contents. The content identifying means determines whether or not a content matching the search condition is present. The second display controlling means changes a display manner of the content which is included in the content part displayed by the first display controlling means and is determined to match the search condition by the content determining means and a display manner of the index part displayed by the first display controlling means in correspondence to a determination result by the content determining means.
In certain example embodiments an information processing apparatus to which the information processing program stored in the storage medium in the above-described embodiments is applied, and has an advantage similar to that of other example embodiments.
According to certain example embodiments, in the displayed content part, a display manner of the content matching the search condition is changed, and the display manner of the displayed index part is changed according to the search result, and therefore, it is possible to easily determine whether or not a content matching the search condition is present for both of the display information whose content is displayed and the display information whose content is not displayed.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of certain example embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.